Chronic health conditions are stressful and associated with psychological symptoms, especially mood and anxiety disorders. The experience of a chronic health condition can cause mood and anxiety problems. In addition, mood and anxiety problems can make chronic health problems worse.
It isn’t true that chronic health problems are “all in your head,” but it is true that the way you think about your chronic health problem can often make things better or worse.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been demonstrated to be effective in helping people cope with and improving outcomes for a variety of chronic health conditions, including:
Chronic pain
Migraines
Temperomandibular pain
Diabetes
Ulcerative colitis
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Erectile dysfunction
Pre-menstrual dysphoria (PMS)
Vulvodynia
Asthma
Hypertension
Tinnitus
One of the main assumptions of CBT is that our thoughts, mood, physical symptoms, and behaviours are all interrelated. What happens to a person is important in determining how they respond; however, what we think about what is happening (our cognitive appraisal) is often just as important.
CBT can be used to treat mood and anxiety problems in patients with chronic health problems. It can also be used to help people adjust to living with a chronic health problem, challenge their beliefs about their condition, and change their behaviour.
